Method of packaging wire



De@ 2l, 1948. J, H, sMrrH 2,457,094

METHOD OF PACKAGING WIRE FiledvFeby. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7; i? Z3 Z lNVENToR. ad* H. 5m BY Dec. Z1, 1948. J. H. SMITH 2,457,094

METHOD 0F PACKAGING WIRE Filed Feb. 24, 1945 2 sneetsfsneet z l INVLN TOR. (L M. 5mn., BY

Patented @est 2L ffii s METHOD F PACKAGING WIRE John H. Smith, Upper Darby, Pa., assigner to General Cable Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 24, 1945, Serial No. 579.654

l 15 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of wire with the wire wound in a coil in such relation to the supporting structure that the wire can 'be payed out from the inside of the coil.

In place of the conventional spool this invention employs a can or similar package and, in so doing, obtains better protection for the wire with a container that is lighter 'than the customary l spool.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved method of packaging wire by constructing a container around a coil of wire while the wire remains on the supporting means on which the coil was wound. The supporting means are removed after the container has been constructed.

In accordance with one feature ci the invention the wire is wound around a mandrel'and between annular discs that are backed up and reinforced by flanges on the mandrel during the winding operation, After the coil has been wound to a predetermined diameter it is covered by a cylindrical shell that is connected to the annular discs so as to form a can that comprises the container or package for the coil of wire.

Other features relate to the lining oi the com tainer and to the form and correlation of the end discs and connecting shell for obtaining strong and tight rolled-over seams that secure the end discs to the cylindrical shell.

The wire package produced by the method disclosed herein and means for unwinding the coll of wire are the subject of the John H. Smith application Serial No. 766,215, tiled August 5, 1947, as a division of the present application.

Spools have end flanges held together by a drum on which the Wire is wound and these iianges must be rigid and heavy enough to support the wire iirmly and to prevent bending of their outer rim portions. With this invention the discs that take the place of the end iianges need not be made of such heavy material because they are braced by the mandrel anges against bending during the Winding of the coil and in the completed package their outer edges are connected together and supported by a cylindrical cover that forms the body or side of the cam or container. The saving in the weight of the end anges more than makes up for the factthat the cylindrical cover around the outside of the coil is larger than the drum of a spool. Moreover, the cover on the outside of the wire aiords protection for the wire that is not obtained with the usual lagging or protective wrap employed with a spool.

For those-types of wire that have insulation which deteriorates with continued exposure to the air the package of this invention can be provided with covers and tightly sealed to prevent such exposure of the insulation while the wire is being shipped and While it is being held by a Jobber. retailer, or customer prior to its use.

(Cl. 2li-148) 2 Other objects. -teatures and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawings, forming a part hereoi, in which illustrates embodiments of the invention are shown and in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation, but mostly in longitudinal section. illustrating the manner in which a coil of wire is wound on a mandrel between end discs in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view oi' the coil of Figurer after the package has been completed and the mandrel removed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view show ing e. modified construction for one end of the wire container illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional view illustrating theappllcatlon of padding or lining material to the outside of `the completed coil.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 51, but illustrating a subsequent step in which the padding material is reduced to a uniform diameter.

Figure 'I is a longitudinal sectional view, partly broken away, showing a modiiied form of the invention that is particularly suitable for coils of larger side. and showing the construction of the mandrel on which the coil is wound.

Figure 8 is a sectionalview taken on the line @-8 of Figure L Figure 9 is a detail sectional view showing the ends of the cylindrical shell ofFigure 'l after they have been turned over to seal the package.

Figure 10 is a sectional view showing the invention with a center cone for holding the container and for controlling the wire as it is drawn out of the container.

Figure 1 shows a mandrel I0 with spaced iianges or end plates Il and I2. One or both of the 5 ilanges Il and l2 are detachable from the mandrel i0, and conveniently the distance between them can be adjusted so that the mandrel is suitable i'or winding coils ci, diilerent lengths. Annular discs i3 and Il. which are to form the ends of the can in which the coil of the wire is to be enclosed, are located on the mandrel I0 and against' the confronting faces oi the flanges li and i2.

The end discs I3 and I4 desirably are of light gauge sheet metal and of somewhat larger diameter than the iianges Il and I2. The thickness of the sheet metal parts is exaggerated in the drawing for clearer illustration. The flanges o0 il and IR-back up the en d discs la and Mend ameter of the coil I6 reaches a predetermined value. This diameter will be somewhat less than y the diameter of the end discs I3 and I4 because the outer edges of these end discs are not held against bending by the anges Il .and I2. It is necessary to have the end discs I3 and I4 extend somewhat beyond the outer edges of the ilanges I I and I2 in order to permit attachment of the rims of the end discs to a cylindrical shell I1 that forms the side of the nal package.

It is advantageous to have the opening through the inside of the coil I6 slightly larger than the openings through the end discs I3 and I4 so that the turns of the coil I6 are held against displacement across the entire end faces of the coll. In order to increase the diameter of the opening through the coil I 6 a wrapping I8 is placed around the mandrel I between the end discs I3 and I4 prior to winding the coil of wire I6. This wrapping is preferably made of paper or other soft material that serves as padding for preventing the wire from coming in contact with the suface of the mandrel I0. This wrapping I8 may be wound as a helix from strips of paper, or other material, having pointed ends that are cut to the necessary angle for winding around th'emandrel I 0 without leaving any of the surface of the mandrel exposed. When the wrapping I8 is wound as a helix it is preferably provided with a pulling tab I8 at the beginning of the helix which is accessible from the hollow center of the coil after the mandrel has been removed. When the package is ready for use the wrapping I8 can be conveniently removed by gripping this tab and pulling. The inner end of the wire is preferably connected with the end of the helical wrapping remote from the tab I9 so that it will be drawn out with the wrapping I8.

against the end discs I3 and I4 by the wrapping I3 applied before the coil is wound.

After the coil is completed, its outside may be covered with a wrapping of sheet material 23, for example corrugated paper, that serves as a lining for the side wall of the container and fills up the space left by the dillerence in the diameters of Y the coil I6 and of the end discs I3 and I4.

completion of the winding operation, is led in to a Instead of winding the wrapping I8 around the mandrel as` a helix this wrapping may be a paper tube split longitudinally in such a manner that the tube can be collapsed and extracted from the. center of the coil in the iinal package. When using a collapsible tube the lead end' 28 of the wire is preferably fastened to the tube so that it wlll be drawn out with the tube when the tube is collapsed and withdrawn.

The wrapping I8 may also be made up of a sheet of paper, r other suitable material, having a width equal to the length of the mandrel that is to be covered. This sheet is wrapped around the mandrel a number of times to obtain the delocation that is accessible throughthe opening at the inside of the coil. As shown in Figure 2, the end disc I3 is shown provided with a radial corrugation 25 which provides a clearance at the end of the coil I6 through which the outer end of the wire can be inserted. An opening is provided in the mandrel in such a manner that the outer end portion 26 of the wire, when pushed inwardly through passageway 25 to bring its end to the center of the opening at the inside of the coil, may be in a position such as shown in dotted ylines in Figure 1.

With the inner and outer ends 20 and 26 of the coiled wire both accessible from the opening through the coil the inner end 20 can be spliced to the outer end of a similarly packaged coil, and the outer end 26 can be spliced to the beginning of another similarly packaged coil of wire so that any number of coils can be payed out successively Without stopping to make connections. This is useful when laying communication lines quickly from a moving vehicle. The end portion 26 is located behind the disc 2| in Figures 1 and 2, but this disc 2I does not interfere with the wire because the disc 2I is knocked down by the end portion 26 as soon as the remainder of the coil I6 Is withdrawn from the container.

It is a feature of the invention that the outer shell II is connected t0 the end discs I3 and I4 while the coil remainson the mandrel I0 with the end discs I3 and I4 backed up by the flanges II and I2. In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the end discs I3 and I4 are provided with anged rims that extend in opposite directions away from the coil, and the shell I'I is somewhat longer `than the length of the coil plus the lengths of the flanged rims of the end discs so that the opposite ends of the shell Il can be spun or turned over to a U-shaped contour that embraces the flanged rims of the end discs in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

In order vto prevent possible scratching of the wire, and particularly the insulation thereof when the container is constructed around a coil of inend of the wire is fastened to the lead end of the sheet in such a manner that it is interleaved between the successive layers of paper as the sheet is wrapped around the mandrel. This construction causes the lead end of the wire to come out of the center of the coil with the paper when the latter is'twisted out of the coil.

- In the preferred construction, padding or lining material is provided between the ends of the wire coil and the end discs I3 and I4, and also between the outside of the coil vand cylindrical shell I1. The lining for the ends of the container comprises annular discs 2| and 22 which may be made of paper and placed against the end discs I3 and I4 before the coil is wound on the mandrel. The openings through the centers 'of the discs 2I and 22 are substantially equal to the diameter of the mandrel I0, and these discs are h eld apart and sulated wire, the center openings through the end discs I3 and I4 d-esirably are provided with lips 28. These lips, which also reinforce the container, are made by rolling over the edges of the center openings through the end discs to provide a smooth surface across which the wire can slide as it is pulled out of the can and to provid-e a bead for holding covers on the ends of the can.

, The center openings of the can or container can be closed with a -cap 29 that has side portions which snap over the roundedbead of the lip 28. 'I'he side portions of the cap grip the bead rmly so that the cap is held in position until removed by force. There is a gasket 30, of rubber or lother suitable gasket material, held in a peripheral recess in thecap 29. This gasket provides a water' and air-tight seal. If desired, the outer side portions of the cap which snap over the lip 28 may be 5 should engage the-lip 23 with a tight frictional contact to hold the cap in place and to provide a tight seal without a gasket. Similar covers may be provided at both ends of the container, or the container can be permanently closed at one end after the mandrel is removed.

When wire is payed out from the inside of a coil, the danger ofl snarling can be reduced by withdrawing the wire along and through a guide located at the axis of the coil. As shown in Figure 3, the cap 29' has an eyelet 3| that is located at the center of the cap and constructed oi porcelain, wood, or other smooth material that has suilicient strength to avoid abrasion as the wire is pulled through it. The container may be closed during shipment and storage by a cap 29 having no eyelet 3| and, when the wire is to be withdrawn, the solid cap can be removed, the leading end of the wire withdrawn and threaded through the eyelet 3| of another cap 23'. The cap 29' with the eyelet is then snapped-over the bead 28 and the container is ready for the withdrawal of wire. The necessity for two caps can be avoided, however, by providing an eyelet 3| in the cap that 'is used for shipping and plugging the eyelet 3| with wax, cork, or other soft material that can be removed when the wire is to be withdrawn from the container. necessary to remove the cap 29' so that the inner lining |8 can be withdrawn from the container ,and the lead end of the wire threaded through the eyelet 3|. After that has been done the cap 29 can be replaced and Wire withdrawn from the container.

Figure 4 shows an end disc 32 that is of similar construction to the end disc |4, except that the center opening has no bead or lip 23'. The opening through the center of the end-disc 32 is closed by a cover 33 which iits into the opening and is permanently secured in place by solder 34, or other fastening means.

With this invention the wire is payed -out from the inside oflthe coil and this tends to give the wire a twist. When winding such wire into a Icoil from which the Wire will be removed at the inside it has been proposed to pre-twist the wire as the coil is being wound, this pre-twist being in the opposite direction to the twist which will be placed in the wire as it is payed out. It is necessary with such pre-twisted coils, however, that the wire be withdrawn from the proper end of the coil. withdrawing it from the wrong end will f add to the twist instead of compensating for the pre-twisting of the wire. Such coils can be packaged in a can having the one end permanently closed as illustrated in Figure 4, so that it is impossible to take the wire from the wrong end of the can.

Instead of using the corrugated paper 23 to lill the space between the outside of the coil I6 and the inside surface of the container a plastic material can be applied to vthe outside of the coil to build the coil up to the full diameter of the end discs. Thermoplastic material 36, such as .the stripping compounds used for weatherproofing metal parts for ocean shipments, can be applied Ito the outside of the coil by dipping, by pouring, by spraying, or by a brush 31 :as illustrated in Figure 5.

The outside of the coil I6 ordinarily is not smooth and best results can be obtained by applying the plastic stripping compound 36 in a heavy layer that extends outwardly slightly beyond the outside edges of the end discs and then cutting ofi the excess material, after it has cooled and In any case, itis hardened, by means of a cutting tool 39, illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 6. This trimming operation to bringthe diameter of the plastic material 36 down to the proper dimension to fit smoothly within the can or package desirably will be done while the coil i6 is still on the mandrel and can be rotated inthe same way that work is rotated past the cutting Itool of a lathe.

Alternatively, the amountof plastic material sprayed, brushed, poured or otherwise applied to the outside of the coil may be only enough to lock the the last layer of wire in place, and the remaining space between the plastic material and the full diameter of the end discs may be filled by wrapping corrugated paper or other suitable material around the plastic material.

When the plastic material is used to build up the diameter of the core, the outside shell |1 is applied over the plastic material 36 in the same way that it is appliedover the corrugated paper 23 in Figure 1, but the plastic lining provided by the stripping material 36 has an advantage over corrugated paper in that it is strong enough to prevent heavy coils of wire from becoming loose and rattling in the container or package.

Thevwire package container of this invention may be constructed around the coil of wire in various ways. While the package container is a metal can in the preferred embodiments of the invention it is not essential that it be made of metal, although some features of the invention claimed herein do relate specifically to such construction.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 1 to 3, the shell i1 has a longitudinal seam that must be closed after the shell is applied to the coil. Other methods of constructing the container can be used that permit the side of the can to be preformed into a cylindrical shell with a longitudinal seam that is'closed prior to the application of the cylindrical shell to the coil of wire.

Figure 'I shows such a construction. An end disc 40 is placed against the flange and another end disc 4| is placed against the flange i2. The disc 40 is shown With an offset peripheral rim portion 42` that is larger than the diameter of a cylindrical shell 43 to which it is to be connected. The cylindrical shell 43 is preformed and provided with an outturned end 44 and inturned end 45. Near the end 45 there is a shoulder 46 beyond which the cylindrical shell 43 is of reduced diameter. The purpose of this change in diameter is to enable the reduced diameter end of one can to nest snugly into the opposite end of anf other can for connecting cans together into groups for shipment or storage.

The end disc 4| has a flanged portion 41, the outside diameter of which is a shade less than the inside diameter of the reduced diameter end of the preformed shell 43. This correlation makes it possible to slide the shell 43 over the rim portion 41 and to move the shell 43 longitudinally over the coil i6 until the outturned end 44 of the cylindrical shell 43 comes in contact with the rim 42 of the end disc tu.

The disc 4G is connected to the shell 43 by spinning or turning the rim portion 42 over the outturned end 44 asl indicated in dotted lines in Figure 7 and, if desired, by then turning the seam against the side of the can as shown at the lefthand end of Figure 9. The cylindrical shell 43 is connected to the end disc 4| by spinning or bending the inturned end 45 of the shell 43 around the inwardly extending end of the flanged rim 41. The seam may then be bent further,

aum

on the shell for connection therewith. Various other methods of constructing cans around the coil while it is wound around a mandrel and held between the ilanges Il and l2 can be employed. The body or shell of the can vmay be provided with handles, or supports, such as a ring or rings 50 joined to the shell 43 by a bracket 5I that preferably is welded to the shell.

One construction for the mandrel i is shown in Figures 7 and 8. This form of mandrel includes a socket section 53 into which telescopes the end of a plug section 54. The reduced diameter end of the plug section 54 is slightly shorter than the socket in the section 53 so that the shoulder 56 at the end of the reduced diameter portion abuts against the end of the socket section 53 and there is no groove between the outside surface of the sections 53 and 54. To hold the sections of the mandrel assembled to a ball latch 51 may be provided in the plug portion 54 to engage a recess or opening 58 in the side wall of the socket into which the end of the mandrel section 54 extends. In another form the ball latch is replaced with a pin and the socket has an L-shaped slot in its inner wall to receive the pin and lock the assembled members together by a partial turn of the plug in the socket.

The outside surface of the mandrel section 53 desirably is provided with angularly spaced grooves 60 anda leaf or wire spring 6I is located in each of these grooves 60. The springs Bl extend for substantially the full lengths of the grooves 60 and each spring may be held in place by a screw 53 located near one end of the spring. The purpose of these springs 6| is to prevent the wrapping i8 from tting around the mandrel so tightly that the mandrel is diilicult to remove after the wire has been wound and the package container constructed around the coil.

When a package made according to this invention contains wire that has very little stiffness the structure shown in Figure l0 can be used to insure against snarling of the wire as it is payed out from the container. A cone 65 ts into the opening at the center of the coil I6 and is preferably of such length as to extend substantially halfway through the wire opening in the eyelet 3i. When using such a cone the' eyelet 3| must be large enough to provide around all sides of the cone a clearance somewhat larger than the diameter of the wire within the package.

The cone 65 may be connected with a cap that fits over the lip 28 in the same way as the cap 29. This construction will be used lwith can: that are moved from place to placefor supplying wire. If the can or package is used on a bench, or at some other fixed location, the cone 65 preferably is connected to the bench or other location by a bracket 61 which provides a support on which the can is placed when wire is to be withdrawn.

Although the invention has been described as used with wire, it will be understood that it can be used with twisted wires or other multi-conductor wire or cable in which two or more wires are laid together. Changes and modifications can be made in theillustrated embodiments and some features of the invention can be used without others without departing from the invention as defined in the claims. l

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of packaging wire within a can,

which method comprises winding the wire into a coil on a mandrel between spaced discs that are to form the ends of the can, bracing the discs against stiff flanges that maintain the spacing of the discs and prevent the discs from bending while the coil is being wound, covering the coil with a cylindrical rmetal shell that extends somewhat beyond the discs, bending the ends of the shell inward over the discs to form a can while the discs are confined between the anges, and thereafter removing the flanges and the mandrel.

2. The method of packaging wire within a can, which method comprises winding the coil between spaced discs that have flanged rims extending in opposite directions away from one another and, when the coil is wound to the desired diameter, covering it with a cylindrical metal shell that has end portions extending beyond the ends of the anged rims of the end discs, and then joining the shell to the discs to form a can by turning the extending ends of the shell over the ends of the flanged rims with a U-bend.

3. The method of packaging wire comprising winding the wire on a support between spaced end discs until the coil attains a preselected diameter, passing a preformed ycylindrical shell axially over one of the discs and over the coil as far as the other disc, securing the discs at both ends of the coil to said cylindrical shell and removing the said support.

4'. The method of packaging wire within a can, which method comprises wrapping a coil of wire on a support between a metal end disc that is of larger diameter than the outside diameter of the can and another metal end disc that has a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the can and that has an edge portion bent to extend axially away from the other disc and then inward for a limited distance toward the axis of the disc, continuing the wrapping until the coil attains a preselected diameter which is less than the diameter of the can, passing a preformed cylindrical shell, that comprises the side for the can, axially over the smaller diameter end disc and into contact ,with the larger diameter end disc, bending an end portion of the shell over the bent-in edge of the smaller diameter disc to form a seam securing the shell and disc, bending the peripheral portion of the larger diameter disc over the adjacent end of the shell to complete the can and removing the said support.

5. The method of packaging wire comprising winding a coil of wire on a support and between end plates that limit the length of the coil, forming an enclosure around the coil while on the support and confined between the end plates, and then removing the end plates and withdrawing the support from the center of the coil leaving the wire coiled within the said enclosure. 6. The wire packaging method that comprises placing y. annular end discs against spaced but confronting faces of flanges that are located on a mandrel, winding a coil of wire on the mandrel by rotating the mandrel while traversing the supply of wire back and forth between the end discs to produce a coil having a length substantially equal to the distance between the end discs,

continuing the winding until the coil extends for a substantial part of the diameter of the end discs, placing a cylindrical shell around the coil, securing the respective end discs to opposite ends of the cylindrical shell, and thereafter removing the flanges and withdrawing the mandrel from within the coil.

7. The method of making a package for a coil of wire which method comprises placing 'the ends of the package at spaced locations on a support and winding a coil of wire around the support and betweenA said ends until the coil of wire reaches a preselected diameter, then forming the package for the wire by connecting the respective ends of the package with the opposite ends of a cylindrical shell that surrounds the coil and forms the side of the final package, and removing the said support.

8. The wire-packaging method that comprises placing spaced end discs against the confronting faces of ilangesv on a mandrel, putting annular lining discs against the confronting faces of the end discs, wrapping a lining strip helically around the mandrel and in position to hold the lining discs in spaced relation and against their adjacent end discs, winding a coil of wire around the helically-wrapped-lining and between the lining discs until the coil acquires a predetermined diameter that is somewhat less than the diameters of the end discs, placing a protective layer around the coil, putting a shell over the protective layer, connecting `said shell with the end discs to form a container around the wire, and after the shell has been connected with the end discs removing the mandrel and ilanges.

, 9. The method of packaging wire, which method comprises helically wrapping a lining material on a mandrel between end discs, connecting an end portion of la wire to the outer end of the helically wound lining, winding the wire over the lining to form a coil, continuing the winding of the coil until it acquires a predetermined diamf eter, applying a shell around the coil, connecting the shell to the end discs to complete the package and then removing the mandrel to leave the leading end of the helically wound lining accessible for pulling the lining and wire end out of the package when the wire is to be used.

10. 'I'he wire-packaging method comprising covering a mandrel between end discs with a tubular lining that is longitudinally split so that it can be collapsed when the mandrel is removed, winding acoil of wire over the lining and between the end discs until the coll acquires a predetermined diameter that is somewhat less than the diameter of the end discs, applying a shell around the coil, connecting the shell to the end discs to i smaller diameter than the other, continuing the winding of the wire -until the coil is of a predetermined diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the smaller of said end discs, placing the cylindrical shell over the smaller diameter end disc with the longitudinal seam of the cylindrical shell permanently sealed and with the diameter of the shell somewhat diierent at opposite ends for tting snugly over the lcupped rim portions of the respective end discs, advancing the shell longitudinally over the coil andover the larger diameter end disc, `bending the edges of the shell and larger diameter disc outwardly vto form a seam connecting the shell and end disc, and bending the edges of the shell and smaller diameter disc inwardly to form a seam.

12. The wire packaging method comprising winding a coil of wire on Aa support between end discs until thecoil reaches a predetermined diam-A eter which is somewhat less than the diameter of the discs, placing a packing around the coil to ll in the additional radial distance ibetween the diameter of the coil and lthe diameters of the discs,

applying a cylindrical shell over the packing for.

the full length of said packing, and securing the shell to iboth of the end discs along the edges I where the shell meets thediscs.

13. In the packaging of a coil of wire that is wound on a mandrel for uncoiling from the center and with a pre-twist to every turn for compensating for the twisting effect caused by paying out wire from the center of the coil, the improvement that comprises winding the -coil on a mandrel between end discs, connecting the discs together by a cylindrical shell that surrounds the outside of the coil, removing the mandrel, and permanently closing the end of the coil from which paying out of wire would add to the twist of the wire.

14. The method of packaging wire comprising wrapping the wire on a collapsible mandrel between two end discs in at least one oi which there is a center opening for subsequently paying out wire from the package, providing a support of diameter larger than the diameter of said opening during the winding of the coil, .continuing the winding until the coil is of a preselected diameter, covering the coil with a cylindrical shell, securing the shell to the end discs, and removing the collapsible mandrel.

15. The method of packaging wire comprising wrapping a coil of wire around a support and between two end discs until the coil reaches a predetermined diameter that is less than the diameter of the discs, coating the outside of the coil with a plastic stripping material, trimming the plastic material after it has hardened to an intended inside diameterof the package, covering the plastic material with an outside shell that comprises the side for the container, and securing the shell to the end discs while the shell is in contact with the plastic covering of the coil.

JOHN H. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references `are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

